1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image reading device having an automatic document feed unit and an image forming apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image reading devices are provided in a variety of image forming apparatuses, such as printers, copiers, scanners, or devices combining functions thereof, and serve to read image information recorded in a document.
Some image reading devices typically include an automatic document feed unit to automatically feed documents to an image reading unit to enable successive scanning operations.
These image reading devices having the automatic document feed unit include a scanning frame to define an external appearance of the image reading device, and a cover pivotally installed to the scanning frame so as to open or close an upper surface of the scanning frame. A scanning unit is installed within the scanning frame and is used to read image information included in a document. The automatic document feed unit is provided at the cover.
Provided on the upper surface of the scanning frame are a manual scanning glass, on which a user places documents sheet by sheet to scan the documents, and a scanning glass to scan documents delivered by the automatic document feed unit. A white bar is installed opposite an upper surface of the scanning glass and serves to position the document in close contact with the scanning glass.
The scanning unit is disposed below the manual and scanning glasses, and serves to read image information recorded in the document that has been placed on the manual scanning glass or the document that has been delivered by the automatic document feed unit.
The above-described image reading device using the white bar, however, has a problem in that the document comes into frictional contact with both the white bar and the scanning glass while passing therebetween, resulting in an unexpected temporary change in a document delivery speed depending on a surface condition of the document. Such a change in the document delivery speed may prevent the scanning unit from correctly scanning the image information of the document.